Tag Archives: romeo + juliet

Where for art thou, Romeo?

Ro·me·o
ˈrōmēˌō/
noun
noun: Romeo; plural noun: Romeos

1. an attractive, passionate male seducer or lover.

There’s nothing so timeless as a Romeo . . . its amazing after hundreds of years, a fictional character could still be so prevalent in our culture. I guess, not so surprising, considering he was created by the genius that is William Shakespeare.

He is a wonderful archetypal character of a beautiful boy, young and naive, but full of vigour, and somewhat tragic in the end….so, like many young men, which is what most certainly resonates. We recently acquired a really cool vintage theatre costume with some Shakespearean swag which got us thinking on the topic.

I don’t think many men can deny they have a bit of Romeo in them. I know for certain many men cannot deny they wish they were as bad ass as say Leonardo DiCaprio in Baz Luhrmann’s iconic 90s pop culture cult classic “Romeo + Juliet” which brought the tale to the beach and the streets and mansions of Los Angeles for a hyper technicolor MTV version that still resonates today, especially when it comes to style.

Do you remember the first time you watched the “Love at First Sight Scene” in the film with that glorious neon aquarium and that haunting “Kissing You” song playing…shit! I mean, come on!!! Claire Danes is especially gorgeous, and her sensitive acting abilities really shine through.

People would kill me for actually saying this, but they were robbed of Academy Award nominations, truly.

I’m not going to lie, we were pushing the tropical shirts long before every major fashion house started picking up the trend (see: +THE CASE FOR HAWAIIAN SHIRTS+), and we’re not upset about it…in fact, its so wonderful to see more guys take risks with their style because of inspirations like this!

While, Dicaprio’s gang chic Romeo is uber cool, we wanted to look back on some previous Romeos – most especially Leonard Whiting from Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 “Romeo & Juliet”, which is hands down our favourite.

Quick shout out to Douglas Booth in the 2013 version – very handsome guy, but the film is redundant AF – so here’s a quick pic should suffice.

Zeffirelli’s film is unique, as it was the first time two unknown teenage actors were cast in the lead of such a massive Shakespeare production, and a world-wide search brought the world the ethereal youthful beauty of Olivia Hussey (she ain’t no hussy, but she did also star in the cult Canadian horror flick “Black Christmas” – you can’t miss those eyes) who was only 15 at the time, and the handsome Leonard Whiting (17) , who lets face it, really does look like Zac Efron.

Certified, he did it first!

Their chemistry is unpalpable, and the entire production is lush and dripping sophistication- Roger Ebert even went as far to say it is the best film of Shakespeare ever made. Respectfully it was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, and Director, and won for its gorgeous cinematography, and Danilo Donati’s sumptuous costumes.

It even inspired the fashion scene at the time with the two stars appearing in various fashion magazines rocking mod styles with a medieval flare. The two teens were definitely a big IT couple of the moment. So, if you haven’t seen this classic, do yourself a favour already!

Another Romeo might be the OG of movie star Romeos – Leslie Howard who starred opposite of Norma Shearer in George Cukor’s 1936 film. Neither of them really exude that youthful innocence, seeing as they are grown ass adults!

But, the vibe is full-on Hollywood glamour with a dazzle and flare that is just so fabulously extra, and sadly missed today!!! Also, very inspired by Leslie Howard’s perfectly coiffed hair!

We all know the story, so let’s just take a look at a few snaps to spark and inspire the Romeo vibe.

Pretty wicked! So, if you’re looking to channel your inner Romeo, we have some picks for you from the {SHOP}!

Remember, XIXIXI gets you 25% OFF of these, and all our hand-picked curated vintage finds! FREE SHIPPING in CANADA, also. Don’t be shy to message us for any details.

Summer is at its peak, and its time to embrace the ultimate piece for the summer. . . .the Hawaiian Shirt. For some reason, this idea makes some people cringe, but over the course of this post you will see the innate beauty and wonder that is the Hawaiian Shirt.

The Case for Hawaiian Shirts really began when I was 8 years old and my mother brought home a Hawaiian shirt for me from her trip to Hawaii. I had begged her to grab me one while she was touring the islands for work. Seemed to me like the coolest thing!

It was a wicked print, nothing too crazy, pretty much an example of a classic Hawaiian shirt.

I remember my locker neighbour saying: “Whats wrong with you?”

“WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?!” is what I wanted to say, but I just shrugged and laughed her aside. She didn’t even have a sense about her as she was herself wearing something completely typical of the girls in my classes around these times…

She just couldn’t appreciate it the way I did. For me, it made me feel the most ahead of the game. I was different than the rest, and that’s always a good thing. For me, there’s just no doubting a really great Hawaiian Shirt.

{Donna Reed + Montgomery Clift, “From Here to Eternity” [1953]. }

{Michael Pitt for Prada S/S 2012 by David Sims}

Lately there’s been a huge influx of Hawaiian and tropical shirts in both runway shows and magazine editorials – it seems the world is finally catching on and getting a little more in tuned with not just my drift, but the truth of the whole matter. Open up any mens fashion magazine and you will find them littered in the colourful graphics.

The case for Hawaiian and Tropical print shirts is that they are as much a classic staple in ones wardrobe as other pieces heralded as being part of our sartorial lineage.

There is plenty of mythology revolving around the the true origin of the Aloha shirt (as they are also called) that range from birth in the Philipines to the islands of Samoa. Until the early 18th century, kapa was the main currency of many islands of the South Pacific. Kapa was a simple patterned cloth found in the South Pacific made from pounding and dyeing the bark of a mulberry tree. These prints later made a splash again in the 1950s. However, it is safe to accredit much of why we still sport and wear these styles to the craftsmanship and entrepreneurial efforts of one, Musa-Shiya the Shirtmaker. Throughout the 1920s and 30s, Musa-Shiya was one of the top Japanese tailors in Honolulu, who profited from his made-to-order custom silk shirts made with colourful and bright Japanese fabrics with Western-style tailoring.

These shirts helped tourists visiting the island make that final transformation to truly being on vacation, taking it easy, and saying goodbye to the stresses of the mainland. Forget your troubles, come on be happy! Soon after other Japanese tailors were doing the same, and quickly the demand for these tailored tropical refuges only began to soar. The 1953 film, “From Here to Eternity” would pretty much seal the deal with stars such as Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, and even Frank Sinatra sporting the casual cuts of florals and tropical sunsets.

+ + +

From here on out, it pretty much has become the go-to expression of ease. Picking the right pattern is about 90% of the magic. There must be literally thousands, if not millions of different Aloha prints floating around in this world, and not all of them good. The key is equal parts colour as it is pattern – make sure both are really slamming. Compromise on this and you could really fall flat.

FIT would be another major point. So make sure it fits to your liking, or get it altered to fit your needs. Alteration is often the key to vintage, so if you haven’t already, be sure to check your local yellow pages for tailors or alterers in your neighbourhood. They will be happy to oblige, and you’d be surprised at how cheap it can be.

If you’re feeling a little more lax and party you may want to embrace some volume (think Sean Penn as Spicoli from Fast Times, or Johnny Depp in Fear & Loathing) or you can keep the cut classic and simple with a bit more of a tailored look to emulate classic stars like Clift, Sinatra, or Delon. Either way – you’re pretty much laughing …

And just in case you’re unsure, check out our pics of style stunning inspiration that ranges from the {PAST} to {PRESENT}. So take a look, and decide your {FUTURE}…it’s calling! All year round, these shirts takes you where you want to go! It’s time to declare the Hawaiian Shirt an equally valuable piece of everyone’s wardrobe.

It’s a defining piece with the magical ability to transport us from our everyday, and for those dedicated followers of fashion these pieces are definitely gaining visibility.

This is what I’m saying!

If you don’t look back, you can never go forward!

So hopefully you appreciate this menagerie of the exotic and wild! Check out The Vintage Hawaiian Shirt for more history, and a look at the web’s most impressive collection of them! Don’t be stuck staring at your everyday checks, plaids, and plain…carry on the {TRADITION} and accelerate the past!

Make sure you also check out the E.O.F. {SHOP}! We are stocking up more and more fashion forward pieces from our collected history so make sure to check it out!

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NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

The Eye of Faith {Vintage} is a brand dedicated to integrating time traveled wisdom from the {past} with the {present} to help shape the {future}. It is an age old symbol of believing in oneself, and having faith in your dreams. No longer must we be lost. We are a burgeoning society dedicated to an alternative to the purchase of affordable fashion forward apparel, accessories, and home decor. We also provide design services and consultation, as well as costume and styling. At our core, we are a source of inspiration and musing.
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